Be constructive with Velo South road closures

The recent Velo South correspondence about temporary road closures has reminded me to write about a suggested constructive use of such closures.

My proposal is that the draft approved traffic realignment in the Southern Gateway plan would benefit from advanced testing to assess the feasibility of the scheme, in as close as possible to the current prevailing traffic conditions.

This would necessarily be on a usual school and working day, perhaps without a Goodwood event burden.

For example, Stockbridge Road could be closed off for the day at the current Basin Road T junction, with access permitted for buses, taxis, emergency vehicles, etc.

Temporary bus stops could be placed in the closed off section and the Basin Road pinch point could be monitored as to numbers of pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle movements.

Similarly the pinch point at the Kingsham Road T junction. Adjustments can be made on the gyratory system and other roads to follow the suggested realignments there, along with the same level of monitoring.

We would then have some factual evidence of the Gateway proposal effects before plunging into planning consents for potentially unsustainable redevelopment. I make clear this would be for one day only. It would also be a practical demonstration of local consultation in action.

The cost benefit equation is clear: a day of some frustration for the wider benefit of the local community or possible years of suffering the consequences.